Yet another 40b Build thread.

[Cichlid Kid]

Well long story short, I had a journal thread on my 20g long and it did so well that I've got to do something with the overgrowth. Since I've had the 40b setup "somewhat" for a planted tank as well I figured go for it! Also i would like to add that the Marinelands LED lighting for planted tanks has not had very good reviews but since the 24"-36" model was purchased for me by my Sis I'm gonna combine it with 4-6500k daylight cfl's, pressurized co2, flourish excel, flourish comp and API leafzone along with flourish root tabs for the crypts and swords. I've got 30lbs of native creek sand capped with 40lbs of eco-complete.
I'll start off by showing the 20long that needs the face-lift and then the 40b which only has a few ferns and anubia.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I wanted to note that the one pic of the 40 with light colored substrate is before the eco-comp cap. This evening I'll be transplanting and will post pics again. I have a male bnp guarding eggs in a hollow log in the 40b that I've got to plant around for now and a ton of panda cory babies in the 20 so it's not gonna be easy.

 

[Trout11B]

Always liked the footprint of the 40b, perhaps one day I'll have one as well. Excited to see where this goes!

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I'm excited as well. I just hope the lights are up to par. I'm gonna go pps pro ferts eventually but for now I'm stickin to what I've already got in stock.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

One thing that troubles me is what to do with my livestock. I think I'll put the panda corys in the 40 because they luv to cruise around. I feel like I did them an injustice by planting the 20 the way I did but then again they must have been happy, they spawned. Maybe I'll go with cpd's and yellow neocardina shrimp in the 20 then. What do you think?

 

[aqua_chem]

Why are you doing Excel and CO2? Seems unnecessary.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I've got a 1 liter bottle of co2 and haven't found any locals to refill so I wanted to stretch it as far as I could. Like 1 bp 2-3 seconds and dose the glut. too? Am I wrong in assuming this will work?

 

[aqua_chem]

No, that's decent logic. What CO2 setup are you using that has you needing 1L tanks?

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Well my sister "God luv her" purchased some things for me for my b-day. The Marineland light and an ISTA professional supply set. 1L

I had these items along with others written down for research kinda like a wishlist but after looking at reviews I don't think they'd be the choices I would have made BUT I'm not gonna hurt my sisters feelings so I wanna work with what i got for now. She's always drooling over my aquariums and saying how talented I am. Little does she know I'm just a little fish in a huge ocean comparatively speaking lol!

 

[aqua_chem]

CO2 Adapters

Maybe?

 

[Cichlid Kid]

That was for the 45g. Mine is 17oz. or 1liter.
It would cost me a small fortune to ship cylinders to refill and I don't really want to do diy co2 on a 40g aquarium. The closest paintball supplier is Harrisburg PA. Does Airgas refill? I have a welding supply store within an hour of my place but they're only open 3 days a week. Days I work daylight.
Is this ISTA supply set of ok quality?




Im just wondering if anyone at AA has any experience with it.
I know I'm rambling on and on and should be concentrating on the build itself. I have one big crypt wendtti green and one big amazon sword of equal size. Which one do you think i should put on the "hill" at the back right of the 40b?

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Ok. So after all day at it. Here's where the 40b is. Keep in mind I have other plants ordered to color it up a bit.

 

[Rivercats]

Subscribed! Can't wait to see how the Hygrophila balsamica looks and grows since I'm really interested in this plant.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I've ordered the plants about the same time as I ordered an inline reactor and some more root tabs.
I've tried to keep some open spaces for my new plants and am trying to picture the rotala indica, hygro balsamac, l. repens etc..
Does anyone have some good advice. I left the huge Amazon sword in the 20g.

 

[Rivercats]

I think the hygro balsamac with it's delicate leaves would be good nestled in the open area on the right with the l. repens kind of next to but more forward from the hydro. Then I'd put the Indica in the area on the left back by the pot so it's light green leaves brighten that area up.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

Thanks rivercats, thats sorta how I had it layed out in my mind also. I bought 2 bunches of R. indica so I was planning on putting a few stems in the mid-front right as well. You said you had a problem with your R. Indica only wanting to grow horizontal? I'm hoping my lighting is high enough that it does just that. We'll see!

 

[Rivercats]

That is what I think was my problem... too much light. The stems just started sending out tons of horizontal growth and it was actually carpeting. It looked pretty but you couldn't see it where it was planted in mid tank. And it grew ultra fast.

 

[aqua_chem]

Rotala growing sideways with too much light is pretty classic. You could probably use it as a foreground like HM when it does that to you.

 

[Cichlid Kid]

I wanted to ask around, there's one plant I have ordered that i didn't research much.
A. Renekii rosafolia sp.
Any experiences with this plant? Like what conditions it grows better in.

I just recieved an email and my plants have been shipped so they will arrive Friday. SWEET!

 

[aqua_chem]

I've grown in. It's a pretty easy red plant that tends to color p under lower light conditions than other red plants. It also grows a little bit slower, but is relatively undemanding. The only thing that bothered me about it was that it out a ton of aerial roots.